Agrief

/əˈɡriːf/ adverb

Definition

In a state of grief or sorrow; grieving or troubled, archaic usage.

Etymology

From Old English a- (in or at) combined with grief (from Old French grief, from Latin gravis meaning heavy). The prefix a- marked states or conditions.

Kelly Says

Agrief is an almost-dead English word that shows how old English used the prefix 'a-' to mark states (like 'ablaze' or 'asleep')—you don't hear it anymore because modern English dropped this grammatical pattern, but its absence leaves us with fewer poetic ways to describe emotional conditions.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.